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Message: <blockquote data-quote="RainOfSteel" data-source="post: 3353701" data-attributes="member: 24460">Nah.Even at the battle before the Black Gate, none of the eagles actually ventured into Morder, not even for scouting purposes.Not until the shadow of Suaron passed into the darkness were the eagles willing to fly there.I don't think it had anything to do with the Ringwraiths or whether or not they were, or were not, in Mordor."One does not simply walk into Mordor," also paraphrases as, "One does not simply fly into Mordor."Further, I doubt the eagles were at anyone's beck and call.  They are proud and undoubtedly do not consider themselves beats of burden.  The very short flight for Gandalf and the flights of Frodo and Sam were likely very rare circumstances.It may have been that Gandalf had never considered that it was possible at all until he was taken off of Orthanc.I can see Gwaihir now, setting Gandalf done somewhere, giving the wizard a good ribbing for getting caught.Gandalf, Elrond, and Galadriel could have gotten quite a bit of intelligence over the centuries if simply flying in were possible.  Troop movements could be reported on a regular basis.  Gandalf and Aragorn could have taken scouting excursions into the region.  Etc., etc., ad infinitum.Since they don't appear to have been using this method as far as we know, we can conclude it wasn't a readily available resource that could be tapped at will or even occasionally.Otherwise Tolkein's writing circle, the Inklings, including C.S. Lewis, probably would have pointed it out and said, hey, what about the eagles!  Just like is being done now.----------------------------------------------Oh yes, I just remembered, Gandalf says that the enemy commands many creatures, including birds.  Not necessarily fell beasts, but ordinary birds turned to evil.Even a giant eagle will be taken out by an exceptionally large flock of crows or other similar birds.Maintaining ten or twenty thousand crows as border watchers and massed guards would be child's play for Sauron, ever ready along Mordor's peaks to mass in huge clouds to defeat an eagle intrusion.  Some would always be aloft, looking for winged spies.----------------------------------------------This whole "eagles take the ring or ringbearer into Mordor" hypothesis makes little to no sense when viewed in the above light.</blockquote>

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